Ouachita Stories

The Daniel and Betty Jo Grant Center for International Education in collaboration with the Ben M. Elrod Center for Family and Community will host an English as a Second Language (ESL) workshop Nov. 12-13 at Ouachita Baptist University. The workshop will be held in Lile Hall 330 beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday.

The workshop, “Teaching English Language Learners the Good News,” is designed to explain and demonstrate how to teach conversational English to people whose first language is not English. These skills are used in a variety of settings from volunteer classrooms to the mission field.

“We work step-by-step through a manual that teaches the process of how to start a church-based conversational English ministry and the basic skills needed for second language instruction,” said Sharon Cosh, coordinator of Ouachita’s ESL program. The course is provided by the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board (NAMB).

“Upon completion of this 16-hour workshop, we will receive certification to be able to teach as a volunteer in a community setting,” said Whitney Moore, a senior early childhood education major from Sheridan, Ark.

This event has been held since 1994 and has varied in size depending on each year’s interest level. Initially, the program was held every other year but has, in recent years, become an annual event. This year, the program has had an overwhelming response and currently has a waiting list for admission.

“In past years, we have advertised the workshop to local churches,” Cosh said, “but since we have had such a huge response from the Ouachita campus, we have not done so this year.”

Natalie Gregory, a senior early childhood education major from Jonesboro, Ark., said she wanted to attend the workshop to expand her knowledge of ESL because of her aspirations to teach elementary students.

“I will have a very diverse classroom, and the more that I can grow as a professional and develop my learning about English, the better,” Gregory said.

Both Moore and Gregory have a minor in Spanish and hope that the workshop will better enable them to use Spanish in their future classrooms.

The ESL workshop also attracts students interested in becoming vocational missionaries. Teaching English offers an opportunity to form meaningful relationships with people of other cultures, Cosh noted.

“We have many on our campus going abroad on mission trips who need to know some of the basic skills of teaching English,” Cosh said.

Although the program primarily attracts people from educational and missionary fields, it is open to participants from all fields of interest. All faculty, staff and students were invited to participate this year, and future workshops will be offered for those unable to attend this year.

“Primarily we are looking for people who may be able to work in our community ESL programs, or, when they graduate, will plug into a program elsewhere or even start their own,” Cosh said.

For more information about ESL, contact Sharon Cosh at [email protected].

by Korrie Browning